How to Find Your Scotiabank Routing Number

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What happens once you’ve been approved for a life insurance policy?

First, take a moment to celebrate! Give yourself a pat on the back for doing the work to find the best life insurance companies available for you and your family to ensure that your family is now protected financially.

Second, check one last item off your insurance application process checklist by setting up your monthly premium payments.

In most cases, your insurance company will probably ask you to sign a pre-authorized payment agreement with them for your monthly payments. As part of this, they’ll need the routing number and account number for the bank account you want to use to make your monthly payments.    

Don’t have a clue about what your Scotiabank routing number is? Don’t sweat it. Here are 3 easy ways to find it.

What is a routing number?

Before we explain how to find your Scotiabank routing number, let’s break down what a routing number is.

In Canada, a routing number is an 8-digit banking code. It represents the bank (e.g., Scotiabank) and the specific branch of that bank (e.g., 41 Harbour Square in Toronto) that’s associated with a bank account. That’s why a routing number actually consists of 2 smaller numbers: a branch number and an institution number.

Also known as the transit number, the branch number is 5 digits long. It represents the specific Scotiabank branch that your bank account is based at. For example, if your account is based at the branch at 41 Harbour Square in Toronto, your account’s branch number is 45872.

The institution number corresponds to the bank that your account is with. In Canada, institution numbers are always 3 digits long. Scotiabank’s institution number is 002.

When you combine them, the branch number and institution number form your account’s routing number. For example, the routing number for the Scotiabank branch at 41 Harbour Square in Toronto is 45872-002.

How to find your Scotiabank routing number using a cheque

You might have never heard of the term “routing number” before. But you’ve definitely seen one if you’ve ever written a cheque. On a cheque, the routing number appears at the bottom along with the other odd-looking numbers.

Here’s an example of a Scotiabank cheque:

Scotiabank sample cheque illustrating where you can find the Scotiabank routing and account numbers at the bottom

Don’t panic if your Scotiabank cheque doesn’t look quite like this one. Not all cheques look the same. But no matter what your cheque looks like, it’ll contain your account’s routing number. The routing symbols between the different sets of numbers may be different from what you see above. Or your branch number and institution number might be one long string of digits with no routing symbols between them. But that routing number is definitely there!

If you can remember that Scotiabank’s institution number is 002, you can use it to spot the routing number among the numbers at the bottom of your cheque. Just make sure that you don’t mistaken the individual cheque number for the routing number. If you have a chequebook, flip through it to spot the one and only number that changes from one cheque to another. You’ll know that this number is the cheque number and not the routing number.  

How to find your Scotiabank routing number without a cheque

Don’t know where your chequebook is these days or if you even still have one? You don’t need to shell out money for a new chequebook just to find your routing number.  

Instead, you can look it up in your Scotiabank online banking account. Here’s how:

  • Log in to your Scotiabank online account.
  • From the “Accounts” page, select your chequing account.
  • Click on “Show account number and details” to view the institution, branch, and account numbers for your bank account.

You can also print a void cheque by navigating to your chequing account, selecting “Direct Deposits & Payments,” and clicking on “View/Print” under “Void Cheque.”

Don’t you just love technology?

How to find your Scotiabank routing number using your bank address

Don’t have a cheque or online access to your Scotiabank account? No problem! You can find the routing number for your account by looking it up on this website based on your branch address.

What do I need my routing number for?

When you get approved for a life insurance policy, your insurer will use your routing number and account number to set up a pre-authorized payment agreement for your monthly premium payments. A pre-authorized payment agreement creates an electronic link between your insurer’s bank account and your Scotiabank bank account. This allows your insurer to automatically withdraw your premium payment from your bank account each month. They don’t have to wait for you to make a manual payment. And you don’t have to keep track of payment due dates or worry about missing a payment.

Your Scotiabank routing number will also come in handy if you want to set up pre-authorized payments for other types of recurring payments, like your water heater rental or your condo maintenance fees. You might also need to give it to your employer so that you can receive payroll payments electronically via direct deposit.

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Laura McKay

COO & Co-Founder
About the Author

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